GraniteShares HIPS US High Income ETF

HIPS

Market cap $112M

GraniteShares HIPS US High Income ETF offers high yield via diversified exposure to REITs, CEFs, MLPs, and BDCs. HIPS's 11.2% yield is attractive, but persistent NAV erosion and underperformance versus alternatives raise concerns about long-term capital preservation. The fund pays out more than it earns, relying on past strong years, making future dividend sustainability questionable without a distribution cut.

The GraniteShares HIPS US High Income ETF (HIPS) tracks the EQM High Income Pass-Through Securities Index, equally weighting 40 holdings across MLPs, BDCs, CEFs, and REITs. HIPS is a volatile, risk-on fund with a 3-year standard deviation of 14.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.42, experiencing significant drawdowns. Due to NAV erosion in components like Annaly (NLY), which lost 50% in price over a decade, HIPS is not ideal for long-term holding.

Weekly income ETFs are booming, with new funds leveraging 0DTE options strategies to generate high-yield, frequent distributions for passive income seekers. Roundhill, YieldMax, Rex Shares, and GraniteShares have all launched innovative ETFs offering weekly payouts, each with unique strategies and underlying assets. While yields are attractive—some exceeding 20% annually—these funds are new, so investors should monitor performance and understand the risks involved.

HIPS offers a high dividend yield of 10.8% and monthly distributions, making it attractive for income-focused investors, especially retirees. The fund blends REITs, CEFs, MLPs, and BDCs, aiming for tax-efficient distributions with at least half as return of capital. Higher interest rates negatively impact HIPS, but lower rates could boost its performance, making it a potential buy for long-term investors.

High-yielding ETFs offer great investment avenues amid varying rate cut expectations and valuation concerns in some pockets of the broader market.

The U.S. stock market is chugging along in 2024 despite looming risks surrounding inflation, interest rates, and even AI. With many investors approaching retirement, too, the need for current income is continuing to grow.

Many of us were prepping for year-end (or on vacation in Belize, in my case) in December. However, index providers were hard at work to ensure certain ETFs fully reflected the investment criteria advisors have come to expect.

It's the time of year when you look back at all that's been accomplished. VettaFi's covered strong net inflows into fixed income ETFs, covered call funds, and many, many, many new product launches.